Making the case for...
Comprehensive Health Education
Comprehensive Sexuality Education
NYSCAP White Papers: Making the Case for ......
Comprehensive Sexuality Education - Full version
comprehensive Sexuality Education - Short version
Legislative, Policy & Program Standards
ADOLESCENT HEALTH CARE
PREAMBLE: NYSCAP has adopted and recommends that all of the following standards be applied to any legislation, policies, and programs related to Adolescent Health Care.
GOAL: To ensure that all young people are afforded medical, emotional and social well-being.
STANDARDS:
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Services are comprehensive and focus on prevention as well as treatment concerns.
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Services are accessible and affordable.
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Services are comfortable and welcoming to young people.
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Services are delivered with privacy and respect for the individual in mind.
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Services must ensure the availability of caring and knowledgeable adults for young people to talk to regarding health decisions.
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Services must include counseling for adolescents on how to talk with parents and other caring adults about health decisions.
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Services should educate and train parents to talk to their children.
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Services for at risk youth must include family life education and family planning.
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Services contain no procedures or requirements that result in the delay of the provision of services.
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Services work to help teens make decisions that take into account cultural, moral, and religious upbringing.
With respect to sexual and reproductive health care services, the following additional standards apply:
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Services protect the adolescents’ rights to secure and authorize medical reproductive services.
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Services contain no age limitations or restrictions.
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Services promote but do not mandate communication with parents.
SEXUALITY EDUCATION
PREAMBLE: NYSCAP has adopted and recommends the application of the following for all legislation, policies and programs related to sexuality education.
GOAL: To ensure that all young people are knowledgeable and able to make informed decisions regarding sexuality, relationships and life choices.
STANDARDS:
All communities and their schools must adopt and implement sexuality education, support services and programs, which meet the following standards:
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They are comprehensive (including human development, sexuality, abstinence, and reproductive health and contraception).
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They reflect contemporary society.
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They respect diversity of cultures, lifestyles and changing families.
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They are developmentally appropriate.
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They span pre-K through 12th grade and are presented sequentially.
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They offer programs that support parents as the primary sex educators of their children.
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They offer programs that deal with safe and healthy relationships and the prevention of abuse.
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They ensure presenters who are knowledgeable, comfortable, approachable, non-judgmental, accessible, willing and accurate.
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They are evidenced-based or promising: that is, programs have demonstrated effectiveness to change sexual risk-taking behavior over time, or they include characteristics of effective programs.